The confidence that came with his latest victory, coupled with the stress-free mindset of being an underdog, has Mike Russow (15-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a good place heading into UFC 147.

After slowly inching his way up the heavyweight ranks with an impressive win streak, he now has an opportunity to take a major stride.

But heading into Saturday’s pay-per-view, he said all the pressure is on opponent Fabricio Werdum (15-5-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC).

UFC 147 takes place in Werdum’s native Brazil. When the two tangle at Estadio Jornalista Felipe Drumond (also known as “Mineirinho”), a 25,000-seat arena in Belo Horizonte, Russow said he’ll go into cruise control.

“Honestly, (fighting in hostile territory) really doesn’t bother me,” he said today. “I’m the underdog and glad all the pressure is on him. It doesn’t bother me what the fans are doing. I really don’t even hear my coaches after the ref says go, so that’s not going to bother me at all.”

For the first time since 2008, Russow, a Chicago police officer, will fight twice in a single calendar year. His past performances have come sporadically, but they’ve been successful. His current 11-fight win streak stretches back to 2007, and since joining the UFC, he’s defeated the likes of Justin McCully, Todd Duffee, Jon Madsen and John-Olav Einemo.

Where would a win over Werdum, a fighter ranked among the world’s top-five heavyweights, put him?

“I believe I’m right up there with the top (guys),” Russow said. “I’ve had some injuries and have been averaging one fight a year. I’m excited this year to have two fights already, and I just want to keep going. Hopefully this will be a good sign.

“Fabricio, I have a lot respect for. He’s ranked like fifth in the world. A win over him on Saturday would get my career really going and really jumpstart it. It would be huge.”

Russow has gradually slimmed down during his time in the UFC, and he said he’s in the best shape of his 14-year career. As a 35-year-old, it’s quite the accomplishment.

But perhaps more important than the cage time and conditioning is the confidence Russow gained from his win over Einemo, a world-champion grappler who couldn’t corral his opponent. Russow, a former NCAA Division I wrestler, is no stranger to the ground game. But many predicted he’d be easy submission bait for Einemo when they clashed in January at UFC on FOX 2.

Against Werdum, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Russow plans to shut down another grappler. However, he knows Werdum also presents challenges when standing.

“I think it really boosted my confidence going against Einemo,” Russow said. “He’s a world champion and a very good submission guy, himself. Fabricio is a lot more active and is very good, but I think (fighting and beating Einemo) helped my confidence.

“From watching film on [Werdum], especially his last fight with Roy Nelson, his standup is a lot better –especially in his muay Thai, in the clinch going for knees. He’s a tough guy, and I’m going to try to not make any mistakes.”

Russow’s lone loss came more than five years ago at PRIDE 33, where he suffered a submission loss to Sergei Kharitonov. But with his current streak, including a potential 5-0 mark in the UFC, he admitted his mind wanders. A win over Werdum could put him in legitimate title contention.

“Sometimes I think about it,” he said. “It’s been a real slow pace, but I’m just focused on this fight. I just want to get past Saturday and shock everybody.”